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C Gull
Member
Username: C_gull

Post Number: 19
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 01:37 pm:   

As a Scrooge like alternative to the entertaining best songs thread - how about people's worst top 5's - ignoring novelty hits - which songs really grate with you?

1. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (could fill a top 5 from that lot alone)
2. Come on Eileen -Dexys
3. Everything You Do I Do It for You - Bryan Adams
4. Winds of Change - Scorpians
5. Candle in the Wind - Elton John
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Randy Adams
Member
Username: Randy_adams

Post Number: 109
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 05:37 pm:   

The first song jumped to mind immediately, even after years of freedom from hearing it:

1. Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover--Paul Simon
2. Rainy Day Women #12 and 35--Dylan
3. Smoke on the Water -- Deep Purple
4. I Want You to Show Me the Way (Everyday. What can I say? Hey, hey, hey hey. Please go away.)--Peter Frampton
5. Bennie & the Jets--Elton John

As you might guess, I just avoided the radio during the early and mid-70s.
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M. Mark Burgess
Member
Username: Fortysomething

Post Number: 50
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 06:41 pm:   

Ok, I'll bite
1. The Boxer-Dylan (An obvious choice, I guess)
2. Dancing in the Dark-Springsteen (I hated it when it came out and I still do)
3. Everybody Hurts-R.E.M. (Ad nauseum)
4. Revolution #9-Beatles (Crap disguised as ART)
5. We are the World- (Enough to make a hungry child barf)
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spence
Member
Username: Spence

Post Number: 31
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 07:42 pm:   

1. Anything By Pete Docherty
2. Anything by Genesis
3. Anything by Jamie Cullen
4. Anything by Embrace
5. Anything by Crosby Stills and Nash.
Bah!
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M. Mark Burgess
Member
Username: Fortysomething

Post Number: 51
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 09:44 pm:   

I definitely second the CSN and also anything they did solo, especially Stills. Thoroughfare Gap has a stupid cover to match, too.
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Peter Azzopardi
Member
Username: Pete

Post Number: 133
Registered: 09-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2005 - 01:40 am:   

Dancing in the Dark, Mark? A fantastic song, if a terrible film clip (with Courtney Cox from "Friends" no less).
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Kurt Stephan
Member
Username: Slothbert

Post Number: 100
Registered: 04-2005
Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2005 - 02:20 am:   

I'll limit my picks to terrible songs by otherwise good or major artists, because there are so many intolerable performers out there who deserve every spot in a top-five worst list.

1. Joey - Dylan (Lots of stinkers in his catalog, this is definitely the dreariest most wrongheadedly lyrically. And it's not like it doesn't have a lot of competition for that honor.)

2. Animal Language - Lou Reed (This man wrote "Pale Blue Eyes," "Sweet Jane," "Heroin," and...THIS. One of two lessons here: Either (1) you need Sterling Morrison or John Cale around for quality control, or (2) drugs are really bad for your brain!)

3. Let's Roll - Neil Young (Another man who's written several lifetimes worth of awful songs, but also some of the best of the rock era. However, this idiotic piece of post-9/11 hawkishness made me come very close to gathering my very extensive collection of Young albums in a big pile and setting it alight.)

4. "Hey Nineteen" - Steely Dan (I know most will take exception with me saying they were ever great. I would argue their first four albums make up one of the best catalogs of the '70s. But this song ruined the whole Dan thing for me by distilling their quirky, cynical lyricism and angular jazz-twisted rock into lowest common denominator MOR jazz-lite mush with hateful lyrics that revealed that they'd actually become the middle-aged LA cokehead perverts they once would have lampooned. This song wasn't a character study, it was a cry for help. But it sucked. Americans, of course, made it a huge hit.)

5. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" - The Beatles (I'll usually give anything by the Beatles--though not as solo artists--the benefit of the doubt. But this song I just hate. It makes me want to break things whenever I hear it. For no good reason.)
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abigail law
Member
Username: Abigail

Post Number: 17
Registered: 06-2005
Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 11:35 am:   

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen yes, this is the worst song of all time, no question
band aid - do they no its christmas, no they probably dont
anything ever relating to any kind of talent/x-factor show ever
anything by u2, yes, even one
almost 99.9% of anything else

to counter all this bile i'll post another top five
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Jeff Whiteaker
Member
Username: Jeff_whiteaker

Post Number: 143
Registered: 10-2004
Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 04:22 pm:   

i can't believe someone mentioned come on eileen!!! that's one of my favorite songs. wasn't in my top 5, but still, i think that song is utterly brilliant.

let's see, i'm not sure i can contribute to this list in any meaningful way, what with so much dross out there.
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Peter Collins
Member
Username: Tyroneshoelaces

Post Number: 41
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 04:37 pm:   

It'd have to be a top 100 really to get them all in, but let's have a go....

Young at Heart - Bluebells.
Anything by the Electric Light Orchestra
Beautiful Day - U2
Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf
the Peter Frampton back catalogue
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Jeff Whiteaker
Member
Username: Jeff_whiteaker

Post Number: 144
Registered: 10-2004
Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 05:17 pm:   

after some consideration, here's a start:

anything by modest mouse
anything by smashing pumpkins
anything by lynyrd skynyrd
anything by nine inch nails
anything by ryan adams
anything by jane's addiction
that 'what's going on' song by 4-non blondes
any of the manchester 'E'-fueled 'baggy' stuff

over the limit, as usual... and a little vague, but i try not to dwell too much on music that i hate.
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Michael Bachman
Member
Username: Michael_bachman

Post Number: 20
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 05:40 pm:   

1. We Built This City - Jefferson Starship
2. Anything after Tumbleweed Connection by Elton John, with the single exception Of Empty Gardens.
3. Ebony and Ivory - Jacko and Sir Paul
4.The entire J-Lo, Mariah Carry and their clones
catalog. Sheer grabage.
5. Anything by Huey Lewis and The News.
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M.J.L.
Member
Username: Mjl

Post Number: 21
Registered: 09-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - 02:27 pm:   

Like Kurt, I'll draw the line with artists I otherwise adore:
- 'Beyond the Sunrise' -- Belle and Sebastian;
- 'Gorgeous George' -- Edwyn Collins;
- 'Hey Jude' -- The Beatles;
- 'Jolly Coppers On Parade' -- Randy Newman;
- 'The Needle and the Damage Done' -- Neil Young
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M. Mark Burgess
Member
Username: Fortysomething

Post Number: 54
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - 10:56 pm:   

I don't know what it is, Peter, that makes me dislike that song so much. I think coming as it did after my favorite Boss album (Nebraska) which no-one I knew liked, it reeked of corporate concessions to top forty and yeah, the video made it worse. I've tried to like it but I can't separate it from what was bad about the 80's.
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Jerry Clark
Member
Username: Jerry

Post Number: 116
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 - 09:56 am:   

Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise
Phil Collins - In Too Deep
Phil Collins - Two Hearts
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
Phil Collins - Anything by Phil Collins

Also anything by Genesis (the Phil Collins' years)...
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jerry hann
Member
Username: Jerry_h

Post Number: 33
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 10:44 am:   

Any thing by INXS
Prog Rock ( Genesis, Yes, ELP etc)
Michael Jackson
Elton John
Madonna
Feel much better now I've got that of my chest
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John Flood
Member
Username: Floodjo

Post Number: 44
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 09:56 pm:   

Love this thread - especially how people write off artists with massive bodies of work in one short pithy phrase. Genesis - oh how I adore their early stuff - Canutility & the Coastliners, In the Cage, Cinema Show, Supper's Ready...loads more - brilliant stuff still.

Phil Collins started off incredibly well with In the Air Tonight but hasn't looked forward since (though he's fairly cleaned up of course)
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Donat
Member
Username: Donat

Post Number: 108
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2005 - 01:55 am:   

Bob Dylan does a cracking version of 'Dancing In The Dark' in concert. ;)
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Michael Bachman
Member
Username: Michael_bachman

Post Number: 22
Registered: 01-2005
Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2006 - 05:12 pm:   

I don't need to hear anything by ELP again, however Close To The Edge by Yes is one of my Top
100 albums of all time. I never got into Genesis except for the brilliant The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album. I have nothing by Rush.
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Geoff Holmes
Member
Username: Geoff

Post Number: 32
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 06:22 am:   

Dear dear me. And I thought you lot prided yourself in liking good music!! Shame on you for including any Beatles in a worst of list. Revolution 9 is at least listenable unlike anything by Captain Beefheart! And what about these stinkers.......
Come said the boy - Mondo Rock
Born to be Alive - Patrick Hernandes
What about me - Moving Pictures (and anyone else who covers it!)
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Randy Adams
Member
Username: Randy_adams

Post Number: 122
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 03:49 pm:   

Captain Beefheart is God.
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Cichli Suite
Member
Username: Cichli_suite

Post Number: 79
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 04:10 pm:   

Randy, I really like Beefheart too. However, I think that his 'Trout Mask Replica' album is completely over-rated. I bought it 15 years ago and I still haven't warmed to it. I rarely play it whereas, 'Safe as Milk', 'Lick My Decals off, baby' and the mirror man sessions get a twirl regularly on my cd player.

'Safe as Milk' is such a great mix of blues, soul, garage pop and psychedelia. Whenever I recommend Beefheart to someone, I suggest 'Safe as Milk'.
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Randy Adams
Member
Username: Randy_adams

Post Number: 123
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 10:08 pm:   

Hooray for you Cichli! My recommendation to start people off is the two-fer reissue of "Spotlight Kid" and "Clear Spot." For my money, they offer the perfect balance between avant garde and psychedelic blues.

"Safe as Milk" is huge fun. All of the Buddah stuff is great.

"Trout Mask" is pretty opaque for me too other than certain things like "Dachau Blues." I just figure I'm too stupid to absorb it, since so many of his other records are obviously brilliant as are his great paintings.
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Dusty
Member
Username: Dusty

Post Number: 17
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 10:04 am:   

Kurt, it's funny reading what you say about Steely Dan's 'Hey Nineteen' - it's bubbling outside my top favourite songs of all time. I love it for it's irresistable cheesiness. Mind you I'd double you on Obla da obla di. Overall it's fascinating looking at all these list posts as it really makes you realize that one man's (woman's) poison really is another's pleasure.
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Kurt Stephan
Member
Username: Slothbert

Post Number: 110
Registered: 04-2005
Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 02:13 am:   

That's interesting, Dusty. Maybe I'm a bit extreme in my opinion on "Hey Nineteen," but it comes from the perspective of a fan who (probably unfairly) feels betrayed by the direction the artist went. Don't get me wrong--I love the first four Steely Dan albums; to me, pop songs don't get much better than "Rikki Don't Lost That Number." But somewhere along the line (after "Katy Lied," frankly)--they lost me with their preference for perfect, easy-to-listen-to "tasty" chops and more-overt lyrical misanthropy (weird combination). I suppose expecting albums like "Pretzel Logic" from them forever would be like expecting the GoBs to keep making "Before Hollywood" over and over. Anyway, your thoughts make me think I should give "Hey Nineteen" a listen with fresh ears (I haven't heard it in many years). No guarantees my opinion will change, though!
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M. Mark Burgess
Member
Username: Fortysomething

Post Number: 57
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 05:26 am:   

Geoff-Maybe you would have thought an album of Lennon taking a crap would have been listenable too? Trout Mask is better than anything the Beatles ever did after Revolver.
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spence
Member
Username: Spence

Post Number: 45
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 01:00 pm:   

Patrick Hernandes is God!!!
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Geoff Holmes
Member
Username: Geoff

Post Number: 34
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 07:05 am:   

I guess it is a healthy sign of the board that we can all, quite safely, vent our opinions about music!
I was waiting for fellow Beatlemaniacs to come to my rescue! Alas, I will beat the retreat in the face of the Captain Beefheart onslaught so that I can lick my wounds and fight another day! But in bowing to superior numbers, I will however note that John Lennon did indeed make an album with gastric accidents called Unfinished Music 1 - Two Virgins. Spence, you have a wicked sense of humour and need hospitalisation for it and/or Patrick Hernandes immediately.

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